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Fumane Cave

A Lessini hills cave with some of Europe's oldest painted art, open weekends March to October.

  • Fumane
  • Landmark
Plan your visitBuy tickets
Where
Fumane
Best for
Oldest painted cave art in Europe
Allow
55 minutes
Best time
The 10 a.m
Tickets
From €8
Checked September 2026

Excavators have been working the floor of this cave in the Lessini hills since 1988, and they are still finding things: layers left by Neanderthals, then by the Uluzzian culture, then by the first Homo sapiens to reach this part of Europe.

The deepest painted stones here, marked with red ochre figures of animals and a horned shaman-like figure, date to somewhere between 32,000 and 36,500 years ago, among the oldest cave art found anywhere on the continent. A visit is really a guided walk with an archaeologist rather than a museum tour: you descend a short flight of metal steps into the excavation itself, see the actual stratigraphy the finds came from, then see the originals (reproductions stay in place; the real pieces sit nearby) in the attached PaleoCenter. The cave only opens on weekends, and only from March through October.

Four things worth finding

If you see nothing else, see these.

  1. The Shaman's Stone

    A painted stone with a horned figure in red ochre, dated to between about 32,000 and 36,500 years ago, among the oldest cave art in Europe.Explained during the guided visit and at the PaleoCenter

  2. The stratigraphy of the excavation

    Layers left by Neanderthals, then by the Uluzzian culture, then by the first Homo sapiens, visible in the section itself.The short flight of metal steps into the dig

  3. The raptor-feather ornaments

    Evidence that Neanderthals decorated themselves, one of the site's most discussed discoveries.Explained by the archaeologist guide

  4. The PaleoCenter

    Interpretive space with the finds and interactive labs that put the excavation in context.Next to the cave

Plan your visit

Everything you need before you go.

Tickets
From €8
Booking
Book ahead
Time needed
55 minutes
Best time
The 10 a.m. Saturday tour, or the special daily openings around mid-August
Getting there
Fumane is about 20 kilometers north of Verona by car on the SP1; there is no direct public transport to the cave, and parking is limited near the Trattoria Chesini and the PaleoCenter.
Accessibility
Not wheelchair accessible: the entrance requires descending metal steps. Two parking spaces are reserved for visitors with reduced mobility, and one of the two restrooms at the PaleoCenter is accessible.

€7 reduced (ages 13-17, students, 65+); €5 for ages 6-12, teachers and visitors with disabilities; free under 6 and for a companion of a visitor with a disability; a combined ticket with the Molina waterfalls park costs €14. Last updated September 2026. Prices change, so check the official site before you go.

Book the first tour of the day if you can: the cave is small, groups are kept deliberately little, and weekend afternoon slots fill first.

Official website
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Before you book

How long should you spend at the Fumane Cave?

About an hour. That is a guided walk with an archaeologist into the excavation, followed by time in the PaleoCenter.

Do you need to book the Fumane Cave?

Yes, the visit is a guided group walk, so book ahead. Check the opening arrangements before you travel, as visits are limited to certain periods of the year.

Is the Fumane Cave worth visiting?

Yes, if you like archaeology. You descend into an active excavation and see the layers where Neanderthals gave way to the first modern humans, which is a rare experience.

More to see nearby

Same city first, then the nearest across the region.

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